The Emory University in Atlanta City in the US state of Georgia hosted its 15th annual Tibet Week festival from Mar 23 to 28 under its Emory-Tibet Partnership program and with the theme of “Exploring Compassion”. (Photo courtesy: www.tibet.emory.edu)

(TibetanReview.net, Mar28, 2015) – The Emory University in Atlanta City in the US state of Georgia hosted its 15th annual Tibet Week festival from Mar 23 to 28 under its Emory-Tibet Partnership program and with the theme of “Exploring Compassion”. The festival not only celebrates Tibetan culture but also “examined topics related to human rights, science, health, secular ethics, and more,” emorywheel.com Mar 26 quoted Marica Ash, Program Coordinator of the Emory-Tibet Partnership, as saying.

The university’s Tibet Week began in 1998 as a result of Emory’s affiliation with the Drepung Loseling Monastery, south India, to promote Tibetan studies programs and celebrate Tibetan culture, and has expanded over the years.

This year’s opening ceremony was led by Dr Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi, Director of the Emory-Tibet Partnership and Co-Director of the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative. Apart from a Mandala Sand Painting Live Exhibition conducted by monks from Drepung Loseling monastery’s Mystical Arts Of Tibet group, the festival featured daily meditation sessions and events to raise awareness about the China-Tibet conflict, Lindsey Max, President of Students for a Free Tibet and College senior, was cited as saying.

The festival’s opening day also featured a panel discussion about China-Tibet relations, with the Dalai Lama’s former Special Envoy, Mr Lodi Gyari, being the keynote speaker. He said the Tibetan struggle was no much more than slogans, that “[It’s about the] preservation of the distinctive personality, of who we are,” emorywheel.com Mar 24 quoted him as saying.

The two student speakers — Richard Sui, a College senior and the co-founder of the China-Tibet Initiative at Emory and Tsewang Rigzin, an Emory graduate student and the current president of the Tibetan Youth Congress — discussed their personal connections to the China-Tibet issue.

Each day features new talks, forums, and dialogues that address both matters of cultural relevance and modern, political importance as it pertains to human rights, healthcare, and conflict resolution. The report said these discussions were being led by professors throughout the university as well as scholars who specialize in various aspects of Tibetan culture and share insights with the Emory community.